Genetic variability in the compatibility between Schistosoma haematobium and its potential vectors in Niger. Epidemiological implications.

A populational study of the compatibility between Schistosoma haematobium and its potential vectors has been carried out in the Niger, confronting samples of S. haematobium populations from three epidemiologic foci with Bulinus populations originating from the same focus (sympatric infection) and with Bulinus populations from other foci (allopatric infections). The three transmission foci selected were irrigation canals in ricefields along the Niger river where one finds: Bulinus truncatus rohlfsi, Bulinus globosus, Bulinus forskalii and Bulinus senegalensis; temporary pools in the Sahel area where one finds B. truncatus and B. senegalensis; permanent pools of the "guelta" type in Sahara area where only B. truncatus occurs. As a compatibility test, the snail infection test was selected, with particular emphasis on optimising its reliability. Snail-infection experiments showed that B. truncatus and B. senegalensis are very good potential vectors, with infection rates ranging between 71.5 and 85.9%. B. globosus and B. forskalii, on the other hand, are totally incompatible. The mean infection percentages in the sympatric and allopatric combinations carried out with the S. haematobium-B. truncatus couple were very similar. This character strongly suggests a lack of isolation in schistosome populations and a circulation of the parasite genome through the mobility of infected human populations (Peuls and Touaregs) in Sahel zone. This study, in relation with snail surveys carried out in parallel, shows that the main types of aquatic environments on the Niger act as high risk areas for schistosome transmission.